For a brief moment during the total solar eclipse coming later this month, lucky North Americans will find themselves overtaken by the moon’s shadow as it slides between the earth and the sun.
But this rare, majestic phenomenon isn’t the only way to experience the visual effects of our planet’s orbit.These sculptures and installations employ shadows as part of their appeal. Under the right circumstances, the shadows transform into images that eclipse the impressiveness of the object that created them. Sometimes it’s intentional, other times it’s a coincidental trick of light. If you can’t witness the total eclipse for yourself this year, these shadowy wonders are another fascinating way to see the solar system in action.
A shadowy serpent slithers down the side of this Mayan pyramid during the spring and autumnal equinoxes. An illusion of light and shadow creates seven triangles alongside the staircase. Starting from the top, the shadows creep downward until finally connecting with the massive stone serpent head resting at the bottom, creating a light show that appears to highlight Kukulcan, the ancient feathered serpent god.
During “Lahaina Noon,” the semiannual event when the sun is directly above Honolulu, Hawaii, this curvy sculpture’s shadow forms a perfect circle. For 363 days of the year, the twisted shadow mimics the sculpture that cast it. But on the two times each year when the sun is directly above it, the ring casts a completely symmetrical hoop.
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